Balint Varkuti on turning neuromodulation technologies into Brain-Computer-Interfaces using software by CereGate
Neural Implant podcast - the people behind Brain-Machine Interface revolutions
Release Date: 03/20/2023
Christina Salchow-Hommen and Dimitry Sayenko on electrode placement and neuroplasticity
Neural Implant podcast - the people behind Brain-Machine Interface revolutions
Narrative Salchow and Sayenko Dual interview episode: Christina Salchow-Hommen from Charité Universitätsmedizin in Berlin, Germany. Her presentation at RehabWeek2019 was titled “Characterization Of Optimal Electrode Configurations For Transcutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulation.” The talk presented her findings from a small trial which included 5 participants living with spinal cord injuries. In the trial, they were trying to find the optimal placements and size of surface stimulation electrodes to elicit a response rectus femoris and the tibialis anterior muscles. The study found variability...
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Bioness's Tom LeBlanc on rehabilitating hand weakness or paralysis
Neural Implant podcast - the people behind Brain-Machine Interface revolutions
Tom LeBlanc is the Marketing Manager at Bioness, a neuroprosthetics and neural rehabilitation technology company born out of the Alfred E. Mann Foundation. Let’s listen in on his interview. He has several years of experience in marketing and communications within Bioness. Prior to joining them he was in the entertainment industry with the likes of Disney and Warner Bros. He holds an MBA from Pepperdine University. Let’s listen to our conversation with him. Takeaway: Functional electrical stimulation can be used as a neuroprosthetic for everyday tasks or as a rehabilitation device to gain...
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Cybathlon - the Olympics of Brain Computer Interfaces, man and machine work together
Neural Implant podcast - the people behind Brain-Machine Interface revolutions
The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich’s Robert Reiner was one of the key figures to initiate the Cybathlon in 2016. The Cybathlon is a unique event in the development of every- day assistive devices in which people living with various disabilities compete while using the latest developments. There are six disciplines from advanced wheelchairs to FES cycling. Florian Haufe, a PhD candidate in Dr. Reiner’s lab, fills us in a little more about this premiere event and what the expect in the 2020 competition. Takeaways: 1. Showcase of technology for people with disabilities in the...
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Paul Meadows on helping found IFESS and Imthera neurostimulation
Neural Implant podcast - the people behind Brain-Machine Interface revolutions
Paul Meadows is one of the founding members of IFESS and a veteran in the neurotech industry. He is currently the Chief Technology Officer at Imthera in the development of neurostimulation device for obstructive sleep apnea. The company was recently acquired by LivaNova. Previous Meadows was involved with neurotech development at Advanced Bionics as well as the Alfred E. Mann Foundation. Takeaways: 1. Current technology transfer developments are influenced by peer-reviewed published research. 2. Learn from the past so we don’t repeat in the future, applies to neurotech applications. 3....
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Thierry Keller Discusses Neuroprosthetic Technologies for Upper and Lower Extremity Stimulation
Neural Implant podcast - the people behind Brain-Machine Interface revolutions
Thierry Keller is a researcher in , a research institute in Spain. In this episode, he discusses some of the neuroprosthetic technologies for upper and lower extremity stimulation and recording that he is working to develop in his institute. Top three takeaways: Multiple stimulation channels, such as on the transcutaneous array, can provide better resolution of functions There needs to be open communication and sharing of knowledge between technology developers, clinicians, and end users in order to maximize the positive impact of an implanted device The point of research is not just to...
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Coffee Conversation with Steven Plymale and Milos Popovic at Toronto Rehabweek 2019
Neural Implant podcast - the people behind Brain-Machine Interface revolutions
Steven Plymale is the CEO of MyndTec. He joined the firm in late 2017 and has more than 25 years of experience in the medical device industry. Previously, he was CEO of Profound Medical, bringing the company from a small six-person team to going public in 2015 in an IPO that raised $60 million. Plymale was also with Xltek, now a division of Natus Medical, and Claron Technologies. Milos Popovic is the Director of the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute (KITE) and professor in the Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Toronto. He is also the co-founder and...
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David Pitino Discusses Medical Technology Innovation and Affordability
Neural Implant podcast - the people behind Brain-Machine Interface revolutions
David Pitino is a health technology researcher who started the in Mount Sinai. In this episode, he discusses innovation in the health tech industry, and how such technology and the industry overall can be improved. Top three takeaways: Communicating with your end user is critically important in solving challenges with medical technologies. One major improvement in most medical technologies is the increase in affordability of these technologies for patients. Improving the industry and technology is more important than monetary gain. [0:00] Ladan introduces the episode and David...
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Vivian Mushahwar Discusses Neural Stimulation Technologies for Patient Rehabilitation Following Spinal Cord Injury
Neural Implant podcast - the people behind Brain-Machine Interface revolutions
is a professor at the University of Alberta in the Department of Medicine, and she is in the division of . She has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and a PhD in bioengineering, and has completed two postdoc positions in rehab medicine and neuroscience. In this episode, she discusses some of the technologies she is researching and developing with regards to nerve stimulation and walking/standing. Top three takeaways: Neural stimulation below levels of injury can greatly improve standing and walking performance in patients with spinal cord injury. A good understanding of...
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Debbie Backus Discusses the Development and Current Challenges of Medical Technologies for Patient Mobility
Neural Implant podcast - the people behind Brain-Machine Interface revolutions
Debbie Backus is with the Shepherd Center, a rehabilitation hospital located in Atlanta, and is also the president of ACRM, a multidisciplinary organization whose mission is to help improve the lives of people with disabilities, particularly brain and spinal cord injuries. In this episode, she discusses the current technologies used to help patients with movement disabilities, how far the technologies have come, the cost-effectiveness of such technologies, and how those technologies may continue to grow in the future. Top three takeaways: Organizations such as the Shepherd Center and ACRM...
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Hocoma's Ursula Costa on helping patients gain maximum potential with
Neural Implant podcast - the people behind Brain-Machine Interface revolutions
Ursula Costa is the Head of Clinical Affairs at Hocoma AG, an established neural rehabilitation company based in Zurich, Switzerland. She is a licensed physical therapist who has recovered herself from a spinal cord injury as a young girl and then nurtured her passion for neurorehabilitation. She holds a PhD from Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona in Physical Therapy and has held a professorship at the same university. Takeaway: Rehabilitation technology is a tool to help the patient gain maximum potential not a tool to do the motion passively. Technology coupled with rehabilitation aids...
info_outlineBalint Varkuti is the CEO of CereGate which unlocks new capabilities for existing neuromodulation technologies using software.
Top 3 Takeaways:
- "the brain is naturally wired for pattern perception for learning, and that's really what we do. We send signals that the brain very quickly can pick up."
- "You do not need to exclusively be focused mentally, consciously on interpreting these signals. Rather it becomes second nature. Our favourite analogy is saying it is like braille for the brain."
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"With hardware, you sometimes have simply the disadvantage that you are married to the time point when you started. So if you started a long time ago, you started with that technology and you have a whole regulatory documentation that's building on that. So fundamentally pivoting in hardware down the road almost becomes impossible."
0:45 Do you want to introduce yourself?
3:00 What is special about the software that hasn't already been done?
11:30 The brain is plastic and the software is changing so how does it work with these two systems fighting?
13:30 How can this approach be used to treat Parkinson symptoms such as Freezing of Gait ?"
14:15 Can you read braille?
15:30 "How fast does a patient learn to use this?"
19:00 " How can a company work with you?"
21:15 You guys have been in stealth mode for 4 years, why did it take 4 years and do you have any success stories so far?
23:45 "Do you wanna talk about the regulatory pathway and how it was how to do a software versus a hardware solution?"
27:00 How did your background in behavioral sciences shape your outlook to the company?
30:15 You didn't mention coding in your background, can you talk about starting a software company without much coding experience?
31:30 You have 25 people involved in the company but doesn't seem that you have raised much money, why such a big team?
35:15 "What does the next four years look like? What's on your horizon?"
37:00 "Is there anything that we didn't talk about that you wanted to mention?"